Chartered Institution of Railway Operators


The Chartered 'Institution of Railway Operators' is the professional body for all those engaged or interested in railway operations and its allied disciplines. It exists for its members and the rail industry as a whole. It was awarded Chartered status on 1 October 2021.

Corporate member companies

Most of the current train and freight operating companies in the UK fall into this category. Also included is the Heritage Railway Association.
A list of the companies that are corporate members of CIRO:
CIRO has a number of local sections in a number of countries.
Internationally, there are sections in:
Area councils, branches of the CIRO, also operate within the U.K.:
There is also a Young Operators section specialised for young people working on the national network and the Railway Engineers Forum which is a multi-disciplinary body drawn from Professional Institutions with strong railway interests.

Membership grades

Membership grade is dependent on the individual member's experience and / or formal qualification.
The headquarters of CIRO is located in Stafford, West Midlands.

CIRO Learning & Development

CIRO has its own section for learning and development, and provides a means of competence certification for personnel undertaking work in the railway operations sector. CIRO offers learning & development through continuing professional development, a mentoring scheme and academic courses. CIRO aims to provide a focus for raising standards through the use of short courses in a bespoke training portfolio and longer courses to educate railway operations management to certificate, diploma, and bachelor of science level.